Mansion House Antiques & Fine Art

Description

The Madonna della seggiola or Madonna della sedia, also known as the “Madonna Of The Chair,” is a version where Madonna is looking out at the artist instead of towards the child in arms.
This quality example is an excellent work of high Renaissance artistry.

The original masterpiece was painted in Rome, by 31 year old Italian painter Raphael Santi.
Today the painting is displayed in the Palazzo Pitti, in Florence, Italy

It depicts Mary embracing the child Christ, while the young John the Baptist devoutly watches.

Painted during his Roman period, this Madonna does not have the strict geometrical form and linear style of his earlier Florentine treatments of the same subject. Instead, the warmer colors seem to suggest the influence of Titian and Raphael's rival Sebastiano del Piombo.

Maria Montessori, Italian doctor and pioneer in pedagogy, wrote that it was her wish that the Madonna della seggiola hang in each Children's House (Montessori school) as a symbol of "humanity [St. John] rendering homage to maternity [Madonna]".

ABOUT THE ARTIST RAPHAELLO SANZIO (B1483-D1520)

For centuries Raphael has been recognised as the supreme High Renaissance painter, more versatile than Michelangelo and more prolific than their older contemporary Leonardo. Though he died at 37, Raphael's example as a paragon of classicism dominated the academic tradition of European painting until the mid-19th century.

Raphael (Raffaello Santi) was born in Urbino where his father, Giovanni Santi, was court painter. He almost certainly began his training there and must have known works by Mantegna, Uccello, and Piero della Francesca from an early age. His earliest paintings were also greatly influenced by Perugino. From 1500 - when he became an independent master - to 1508 he worked throughout central Italy, particularly Florence, where he became a noted portraitist and painter of Madonnas.

He remained in Rome for the rest of his life and in 1514, on the death of Bramante, he was appointed architect in charge of St Peter's.

CONDITION
Excellent condition throughout still retaining the bright vivid colours and sharpness.

VALUATIONS
Values of similar size works vary greatly as there are lots of poor quality copies in circulation.

We have visually found an example which is of comparable quality which has been painted on panel and looks possibly as if executed by the same studio.
Please copy pasted LINK below into your browser,
as this one achieved 20.000 Euro or £16,800 in 2012.



MEASUREMENTS (Including Frame)
Height 38.5 Inches (98cm)
Width 38.5 Inches (98cm)
Depth 3.25 Inchesa(7.5cm)

APERTURE SIZE 28 X 28 Inches (71cm)

ARTIST
Attributed to artist LUIGI BARDI,this fine example is up there with some of the best works in major museum collections and is clearly executed by a very competant hand indeed almost indistinguishable from originas by the master Raphael.

TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES 07765 856171
HOURS 10AM - 10PM 7 DAYS A WEEK BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

DELIVERY UK MAINLAND & WORLDWIDE / QUOTES ON REQUEST

OUT REF 0519 A STUNNING WORK ON ART